Another Path in the Garden of Time
by LittleTee
Summary: Hermione reflects on her life so far as her seventeenth birthday approaches. Displaced from her time and home she struggles with whether she should change things for the better or just wait and hope she can return back to her time. Hints of possible future SS/HG. AU. One shot. Written for Alchemy assignment 8 on HSWW


**Summary:** Hermione reflects on her life so far as her seventeenth birthday approaches. Displaced from her time and home she struggles with whether she should change things for the better or just wait and hope she can return back to her time. Hints of possible future Severus/Hermione. AU.

 **Rating:** K+

 **Disclaimer:** The Wizarding World of Harry Potter does not belong to LittleTee, (who shall henceforth be referred to as "The Author.") While the plot of this fanfiction, (henceforth to be referred to as the "Story,") is of The Author's creation, neither the characters nor the locations therein belong to The Author, as they belong to JK Rowling, with the exception of any characters or locations within this Story which have no representation in cannon-these original characters and locations are the property of The Author. This is a work of fiction produced for the single purpose of entertaining fans of Harry Potter, and no Copyright infringement is intended _._

 **Submission for:** Alchemy lesson 8 assignment over at HSWW forum.

 **Task:** This week your task will be to free-write. Free-writing is an exercise that many people use to get rid of writers block. The task is simple: write on anything until you get to your desired word count or maybe for ten minutes straight if you work better that way. It can be anything, structured or unstructured, rambling or planned. Once you're done, edit your piece for grading. You must have the edited and unedited versions in your story document so I know you didn't just write a story of x amount words. Note: Do not use the backspace or the delete button at all! Just type away until your desired time or word count has been concurred!

 **Required word count range:** 350 to 1,500.

 _ **Edited word count:**_ 2,019

 _ **Unedited word count**_ **:** 1,500.

 ** _NEW_ Author's Note:** Since I have receive some feedback requesting more or a continuation of this, I have decided to continue this one-shot into a multi-chapter fanfiction. However, I will be doing a prequel of shorts first. (It just how my muse wanted to go this time... I blame Severus and his mysterious ritual for this.) The title of it is, " _This Impossible Love"_ and you should be able to find it via my profile if all else fails.

 **Author's Note:** I started with nothing really in mind about what I was going to write, the way I prefer to do free-writing as a rule due to the joy of discovery and feeling of exploring a fictional world, and before I knew it I had this little one-shot dealing with space time and parallel realities. The former I blame on the hype about Back to the Future this last month as we approached and past the day that Marty went to the future in Back to the Future, part 2. The latter just came about from its own accord.

This first part (the story below this technical stuff) is the edited version of my free-write. The second part however, _was_ not a continuation of the below story but the rough draft of my free-write. I initially included it for purposes of the challenge/task but have since deleted it to reduce possible confusion.

 **oooOOOooo**

Hermione sat on her window seat as she flipped through her scrapbook. Her seventeenth birthday was a month away. The subsequent feelings of reaching adulthood, according to wizarding Britain, and the urge to relive memories had made her bring her scrapbook down from its shelf stationed above her bed. A scrapbook that was more of a glorified photo album then anything. She stopped when she saw the candid picture of herself as she descended the stairs for the Yule Ball. She still pondered how Colin managed to capture that moment when he wasn't even supposed to be there, or, for that matter, without her noticing the camera's flash.

She shook her head and resumed slowly flipping through the pages once again. The moving images of friends, classmates, year and house mates would wave or smile her way as she turned the page. She found herself returning the smiles or laughter when she rediscovered a photo that she had forgotten about. Usually those starred Fred and George doing some sort of mischief in either the foreground or the background. Hogwarts just wasn't the same without them.

Then before she knew it she reached the end. Not of the book but just of the collected pictures. Several blank pages still remained, their glossy pages reflected the peach rays of the dimming sunlight behind her. They reminded Hermione of blank slates. Just waiting to be filled with upcoming memories. Much like time, she mused before she closed it and returned it. Studying the cover of the second scrapbook for a moment before taking it down and retaking her seat.

Hermione sat there on her window seat just studying the familiar landscape and the old castle that made up the skyline. All so similar and familiar but yet so vastly different. Turning away from the rapidly oncoming dusk and opened the second book that marked the second part of her life. A part that was forced upon her like a whirlwind last year.

The first photograph was of her fourteen year old self smiling weakly to the camera as she stood on Platform 9 ¾. She had not felt the same without her Gryffindor robes and without Harry and Ron. She had felt completely alone. The second had been taken after the sorting ceremony and the welcoming feast. Her shock at being sorted into another house was still very clear, but she had done her best to cover it with a small smile.

The next picture came months after. It had been the first snowfall of the season and her-picture-self was busy making a snow angle. Her dorm mates beside her making their own, while some other students were exchanged in a fierce snowball fight in the background. She smiled as she saw the snowball fight play out before in. Her smile soon froze however, when she saw _him_ walking through. He was just a shadow, Hermione mused as she watch his image carefully make his way through the snow. His ever present frown in place as he ignored the impromptu winter games around him. He was no doubt on his way to his common room.

Hermione cursed her luck, snapped the album closed and threw it across her room.

She did not want to think about or see him any sooner than she had to. It had been hard enough avoiding him in Slughorn's Club, at the library or the Great Hall, but it had been doable. After all she was a year under him. They weren't in the same house. Now however… she just honestly didn't know what to do.

Who would have thought that he had to repeat a year? She clearly hadn't.

Hermione had wondered briefly if she had somehow caused this turn of events. She had tried her best to not alter the past. She really had. But, as the hours slowly ran into months it was clear that she wasn't going back to her time, and she feared that every additional day stuck in the past would change her present. Or future.

Professor Dumbledore had speculated, after she had confided in him during Christmas and he had taken out his pipe as he stared in her in astonishment, that perhaps why she had yet to return back to the future was she had yet to be born. If that was the case then she was stuck here for another thirteen months. If they could find a way for her to return by then that is.

She doubted her future was still as she left it. Even with her trying to remain under everyone's radar she had read enough about the so-called butterfly effect and remembered enough of _Back to The Future_ to know that her just being here changed the course of time. That her breaths and displacement of air in of itself could alter the weather much less the hundreds of personal interactions she had been apart of could alter the course of future human events.

That was why she had meet with Professor Dumbledore and allowed her memories of her rightful time to be harvested, studied and examined. The dilemma of whether she should try to fix time, so to speak, or allow it to run it's natural course she placed in the Headmaster's capable hands and judgment. The relief of the burden of trying to balance what was right with what should be done was accepted gratefully, and she had been able to push aside such thoughts and focus on her OWLs.

Though she still wondered at times if she should do something more. Take matters in her own hands. Maybe that was why Fate or what have you transplanted her here, almost two decades away from her home, family and friends. Maybe she could make sure Harry grew up with his parents. Maybe Sirius wouldn't have to be wrongly imprisoned all those years. Maybe -

She sighed as she forced herself to stop from thinking about fixing everything. It wasn't her call to decide. And, since she was not born or even conceived yet she did not need to meddle with time and cause herself to be erased from existence. So, she stood, picked up the discarded book and returned it to its rightful place. All the while ignoring where her traitorous heart wanted to go. Wanted to do.

After all, it wasn't her call to make.

 **o0o**

Professor Dumbledore took a breath of relief as he straightened and came away from the memory he had just witness for the third time. This time he had analyzed it thoroughly for any evidence of falsehood or constructed realities.

"Well?" Aberforth asked as he smoked his own-rolled cigarette. The Dumbledore siblings had gathered at Albus' house after they had all independently searched out the Granger girl's story. All three wanting to make sure they, and the Ministry, were ready if such a bloody war as she painted was indeed looming in the near future.

"They all are genuine memories."

"But that cannot be Albus," Ariana voiced as she put down her tea. Her glaze shared between her two brothers. "There is no Lord Voldermort or Tom Riddle Jr. No Death Eaters-"

"Thank Heavens," Aberforth muttered, remembering some of the memories the girl had shared. The version of masked, robed wizards that took pleasure in death and destruction was something he never wanted to see happen.

"Or chamber of secrets for that matter." Ariana finished ignoring her brother's slight interruption.

"So it seems," Albus remarked cryptically as he recapped the memory away into its vial.

"So it seems?" Parroted back Aberforth as he studied his brother. "That girl has to be mentally unstable and needs the right attention and help."

"What is going on in that complex brain of yours brother?" Ariana quietly asked Albus. Her eyes not leaving his form as he walked across the room and took his seat across from her and Aberforth.

"Miss Granger is not unstable. Mentally or otherwise."

"Then what? How could she be sane and have memories of persons that don't exist or cannot be born because their parents no longer exist?"

"Good question," Albus whispered around his pipe as he lite it. Taking the next several minutes of quiet to focus his thoughts on the dilemma while savoring the taste and aroma of his favorite blend. Finally he broke the comfortable silence: "How informed are you about the multiple Earths hypothesis?"

Aberforth frowned and flicked his cigarette's ashes into the floating ashtray that hovered by him. "Never heard of anything so ridiculous. Multiple Earths? Complete and utter nonsense."

Ariana on the other hand winkled her brow as she studied her tea. "Are you saying this is something akin to that story about the many forking paths in the garden of time*?"

"Yes. Exactly." Albus grinned and nodded his head, "I believe Miss Granger not only traveled back in time but out of her 'path', so to speak, and into our own."

"Then what do we do?" Ariana asked, "do we tell her? Do we allow her to think that she is simply out of time?"

"When the time is right," Albus paused as he took another puff from his pipe, "I will tell her. If she doesn't reasoned it herself."

Aberforth looked at his brother before finishing the last drag on his cigarette. "I find this all hard to believe, but I shall accept your theory. For now. But, do you think she has the smarts to figure out this -" he paused as he searched for the right word, "different universe or path as you put it?"

"Oh yes. Miss Granger shows great promise at becoming the brightest witch of her age, again. With time she should be able to piece it all together."

Ariana wondered if Albus was correct about his assessment on young Miss Granger. She had yet to meet the girl, but some of the memories she had viewed from her left Ariana doubting how bright one could be and still jump blatantly into the dragon's fire repeatedly. Time would tell of course.

 **o0o**

Severus threw the old book he had had the misfortune of discovering in the attic of his parents' home against the wall of his dismal room. A full year had pass since he had uttered the incantation and performed the ritual that was suppose to summon his soul mate to him and yet no one new had entered his life.

Soul mate. Ha! He should have known from the archaic term that it would be a complete waste of his time, but like a fool he had hoped and tried to bring about someone who would love him for him. That he could love in return. Someone that had been made for him and vise versa.

For the first part of his sixth year he had wondered if the new girl, Granger, could be his soul mate. She had appeared out of nowhere and even though she was new to Hogwarts she transverse its many halls and passageways like an old hand. She was not a Slytherin and they had had no classes in common since she was one year below him. But, she had ignored him and seemed to go out of her way to avoid him whenever Professor Slughorn hosted his elite club.

If he hadn't wasted his time searching, wishing and mooning over a girl that could have been something as impossible as a soul mate then he wouldn't have been so far behind in his studies. Wouldn't have failed his exams and be forced to retake his sixth year again. Wouldn't have to be looked down upon by his former year-mates. Wouldn't have to –

He stopped himself. Refusing to waste anymore time on what-ifs or what he should have done, and picked up his textbooks. At least he didn't have to buy any new text that year, and he opened the top book and began reading. Already knowing that this was going to be one long year.

 _Fini_

 **Author's note 2:**.There you have it. For those who wanted more of a happy ending, or just more of the story, I blame the word limit (which I met in my free writing draft and surpassed by some 500 words just now in my edited draft) for limiting me from writing more. I could see this very easily becoming a basis for a much longer multichapter work. And I might just write it.

Also I imagine that happiness will come to both Severus and Hermione. Eventually. Probably after a lot of tension, friendship dynamics and stubbornness has played out.

Please leave your thoughts and any criticisms and critiques you have about this in a review. Feedback is always appreciated. Just FYI.

* "The Garden of Forking Paths" ("El Jardín de senderos que se bifurcan") by Jorge Luis Borges. Very interesting read if you like time travel and alternative realities.


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